RESUMEN

Leukodystrophies are a group of heterogeneous disorders affecting brain myelin. Among those, childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination/vanishing white matter (CACH/VWM) is one of the more common inherited leukodystrophies. Pathogenic variants in one of the genes encoding five subunits of EIF2B are associated with CACH/VWM. Herein, we presented a case of CACH/VWM who developed ataxia following a minor head injury. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed extensive white matter signal abnormality. Diagnosis of CACH/VWM was confirmed by the presence of compound heterozygous variants in EIF2B3: the previously known pathogenic variant c c.260C>T (p.Ala87Val) and the novel variant c.673C>T (p.Arg225Trp). Based on the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) recommendations, we classified p.Arg225Trp as likely pathogenic. We report a novel variant in a patient with CACH/VWM and highlight the importance of genetic testing in patients with leukodystrophies.

RESUMEN

Background Childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination (CACH) is a recently described childhood inherited white matter disease, caused by mutations in any of the five genes encoding eukaryotic translation initiation factor ( eIF2B ). Methods Retrospective review of the charts of children with CACH was performed from January 2014 to March 2020 at tertiary care center from Southern India. Diagnosis was based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria or genetic testing. Results Total number of children with CACH enrolled were 18. Male/female ratio was 10:8. Mean age of presentation was 37.11 months (range = 6-144 months). Affected siblings were seen in five (28%) cases. All children had spasticity, ataxia, and diffuse white matter changes with similar signal as cerebrospinal fluid on all pulse sequences on MRI brain. Of the 18 children, only nine are alive. Duration of illness among deceased children was 9.6667 months (range = 2-16 months). Waxing and waning of symptoms were seen in seven cases. Genetic analysis of EIF2B gene was performed in five cases, among which three mutations were novel. Conclusion A diagnosis of childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination should be considered in patients presenting with acute onset neuroregression following infection or trauma with associated neuroimaging showing classical white matter findings.

RESUMEN

A 4-year-old boy presented with loss of motor milestones following viral fever. On examination, the child had increased tone and exaggerated deep tendon reflexes. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed white matter hyperintensities on T2-weighted images, which revealed partial inversion on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images. Clinical exome sequencing revealed a novel homozygous mutation c.1270T>G: pCys424Gly in exon 11 of the EIF2B3 gene. This novel mutation is reported in this article along with a literature review.

RESUMEN

Hereditary ataxias are a group of genetic disorders that are progressive and heterogeneous. The purpose of this study was to develop a practical and time-efficient approach to diagnosing childhood hereditary ataxias by analyzing characteristics and final diagnosis at a tertiary referral clinic for pediatric neurology. 196 patients admitted to the pediatric neurology department were included. The medical records were examined for demographic features, neurological, laboratory, electrophysiological, cranial imaging, and pathological findings, and for genetic studies. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether a final diagnosis was made. The undiagnosed and diagnosed groups consisted of 157 (81.1%) and 39 (19.9%) patients, respectively. The two groups differed in terms of levels of history of consanguineous marriage and mental and motor development before diagnosis, absence of deep tendon reflexes, and the presence of polyneuropathic changes detected by electromyelography (EMG), abnormal visual evoked potentials (VEPs), electroretinography (ERG), and muscle biopsy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study involving a large spectrum of diseases related to autosomal recessive ataxias in childhood in Turkey. One out of five patients with hereditary childhood ataxias can be diagnosed with clinical and laboratory and electrodiagnostic examination, especially with the help of imaging facilities, while genetic analysis is not possible for every child. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging followed by EMG provides the most important clues for the diagnosis of hereditary childhood ataxias.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Vanishing White Matter disease (VWM) is an inherited progressive leukoencephalopathy caused by mutations in the genes EIF2B1-5, which encode for the 5 subunits of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B), a regulator of protein synthesis. VWM typically presents with acute neurological decline following febrile infections or minor head trauma, and subsequent progressive neurological and cognitive regression. There is a varied clinical spectrum of VWM, with earlier onset associated with more severe phenotypes. Brain magnetic resonance imaging is usually diagnostic with diffusely abnormal white matter, progressing over time to cystic degeneration. We are reporting on a patient with infantile onset VWM associated with three heterozygous missense variants in EIF2B5, including a novel missense variant on exon 6 of EIF2B5 (D262N), as well as an interstitial duplication at 7q21.12. In addition, our case is unusual because of a severe epilepsy course, a novel clinical finding of hypopituitarism manifested by hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency, and a prolonged life span with current age of survival of 4 years and 11 months.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

La ataxia aguda (AA) en la población pediátrica generalmente es secundaria a disfunción cerebelosade origen inmunológico. En urgencias, la rápida detección de patologías de menor frecuencia y mayorgravedad que requieren tratamiento específico es prioridad.Objetivos: Describir la etiología de la AA en los pacientes valorados por Neuropediatría en la FundaciónHospital la Misericordia entre los años 2009 y 2013.Métodos y Materiales: Estudio descriptivo tipo serie de casos. Revisión retrospectiva de historias clínicas depacientes de 1 mes a 18 años con diagnóstico definitivo de AA. Análisis de datos mediante SPSS 21, medidasde tendencia central, Kaplan Meier y prueba de Log Rank.Resultados: Se recopilaron 48 casos, de los cuales el 91,67% fue de origen cerebeloso. El diagnóstico etiológicomás frecuente fue cerebelitis o romboencefalitis viral en 25%, seguido de intoxicación aguda y post infecciosa(20,5% cada una). En cuanto a pronóstico, el 60.4 % tuvo una recuperación completa, siendo esta más rápidaen la ataxia postinfecciosa, tóxica y post traumática.Discusión: La disfunción cerebelosa fue la causa más frecuente de ataxia, los diagnósticos etiológicos principalesfueron ataxia de origen infeccioso y post infeccioso, el antecedente de infección 1 a 30 días antes del iniciode los síntomas neurológicos fue positivo en 41.67 %, lo que sugiere un importante papel de la inmunidad.Conclusiones: La mayoría de las ataxias agudas son secundarias a disfunción cerebelosa infecciosa, inmunológicao tóxica; el pronóstico depende de la etiología y generalmente es benigno...

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Childhood ataxia with diffuse central nervous system hypomyelination(CACH) syndrome is a recently described leukodystrophy of unknown etiology. The patients show normal development until the age from 1.5 to 5 years, and sudden deterioration of all motor abilities with irritability is presented after a viral infection or minor head trauma. Brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) shows generalized hypointensity of the white matter in T1-weighted image, which turns hyperintense in T2-weighted image, and Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging(1H-MRSI) shows reduced signal of N- acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine only in white matter. Dementia is not present and peripheral nerves are normal. We report a case of CACH syndrome who was born with no perinatal problem, and showed normal development until the age of 16 months. She suddenly lost all motor abilities after exanthem subitum who recovered fully over two months. At the age of 18 months she experienced similar attack after chicken pox, and developed seizures at age of 18 months.

Asunto(s)